Surprise Packages Come Tied With a Knot
by Cls2011
Summary: Stems from an AU season four. kisses in shadows, and whispered promises meet with a dressing gown sash, and what is untied is a surprise neither Mary not Charles (especially Charles) was expecting. Not complete smut! *rated M for a later chapter* miscreantrose created the summary!
1. Chapter 1

**_Authors note: Hello again, have you all missed me? (if not, please lie and say you have). This little series was created from a prompt I was given a while back, if you follow me on tumblr (gazelle-legs) you will recognize this. I have finally decided to share it here after some encouraging from my partners in crime, lala-kate and miscreantrose. _****_PLEASE NOTE: This first part is actually the prequel to the real story, I took part in the Mary and Charles Secret Santa exchange on tumblr and ended up with lala-kate's prompts, she asked for Charles working up the courage to propose to Mary and everything keeps going wrong. _**

**_Now, with that being said I would like to officially dedicate this series to lala-kate and miscreantrose. You two have become my sisters, some of my best friends, and of course together we are The Bacon Mafia. You are two of the strongest and most amazing women I have ever met, and you inspire me daily. Thank you for the support, hugs to you both. I love you._**

**_I hope you all enjoy!_**

_Sunday (after the two disasters)_

The knots in his stomach tightened with each tick of the clock on the library wall; had he ever been this nervous? He wondered. He had already secured her father's permission, and he suspected she knew what was coming and had ever since he had written to her weeks ago. He had been at Downton for a week, and had come so close to asking her several times only to be interrupted.

_Tuesday_

"_The lake is lovely this time of year, the water is just warm enough to dip your toes in and relax." Her hand tightened on his arm as she spoke._

_Their eyes met, "was that a hint Lady Mary?" he teased. _

"_What do you think, Mr. Blake?" she said with her brow arched in question._

_His gaze traced over the look of happiness on her face, "I think we had better test the lake water."_

_They were sitting on the bank, she on his jacket and he with his shirtsleeves rolled up and tie off; their shoes were seated behind them and their toes drifted lazily in the water. She stared straight ahead seemingly in thought, and he watched her from the corner of his eye. He saw the small smile he had come to love so much pull at her mouth; this would be the perfect time realized. His hand brushed over the outline of the ring within his trouser pocket._

"_We should be heading back, the air is beginning to cool." She said as a slight shiver racked her body."_

_This was it, he would help her up, and then he would kneel and ask her. He stood to offer her his hand. He must have done so too quickly, because the next thing he heard was her telling him to "be careful" just before he fell backwards in the water. He came up sputtering, and hearing the sound of her laughter. _

"_Do you need help getting out?" she asked around fits of laughter._

_He held his hand out for her, and she took it. Their fingers linking tightly together, she had yet to stop laughing._

"_You know, I could pull you in." He quipped. She sobered quickly._

He was standing in front of the fire shaking his head, lost in his thoughts. Tuesday had just been the beginning; Wednesday had proven to be worse. Staring at the flames before him, he sighed and once again mulled over his disastrous attempts at a proposal.

_Wednesday_

_One in the morning. He was downstairs in kitchen at Downton in the early hours of the morning attempting to make scrambled eggs. He had already cut some fruit, and poured two glasses of wine. He remembered that she had told him of her nightly habit. She always crept down to the kitchen for a snack around one; he hoped this would be a pleasant surprise. It seemed almost fitting really, scrambled eggs and wine, the night of discoveries. Surely nothing could go wrong this time. _

"_Please Lord, let this time go without incident." He prayed._

_She could hear someone moving about in the kitchen as she crept down the stairs, and was that humming she heard? She could tell it was man in the kitchen the closer she got; Carson must be awake as well, she thought as she stepped around the corner._

"_Carson-"her words were cut off by a muffled cry of pain and the loud clattering of a pan as it hit the floor. No, it was definitely not Carson._

"_What were you thinking sneaking up on someone like that?" he asked, his words coming out with a pained hiss._

_She hurried to his side; "are you hurt?" her hand touched his arm in question._

"_I'll be alright, the pan only landed on my foot for a moment." That 'moment' was now causing his foot to throb in pain. _

"_You need to sit down, and put something on that. What are you doing down here anyway?" she asked as she led him to one of the stools._

_How could he tell her the truth now? _

"_I had trouble sleeping, and then I decided to make myself an early morning snack." His smile was far too innocent. She did not believe a word of it._

"_Oh really, then why are there two glasses of wine poured?" her question shocked him; he had forgotten the damn wine._

_Recovering quickly he answered as convincingly as he could, "I noticed the time when I came down, and remembered that you had once said you usually crept down at this time…" his voice trailed off._

_Her nod of encouragement allowed him to continue._

"_I just thought I would make plenty in case you did and I was right. Sadly, I do believe our feet enjoyed the eggs more than our stomachs." He said as he looked down at the floor._

_They both grimaced at the egg now stuck to their feet._

_Another attempt ruined, he thought. _

He was determined to succeed this time. She deserved the best he had to give. He continued to watch the flames dance and hear their song of crackle and pop. Waiting was the hardest part, he thought. He knew from their kisses that she loved him, but he would never presume she would say 'yes.' Thoughts of their first meeting made him smile. He had not originally appreciated her sharp wit, but now it was one of the things he loved most about her. Something had shifted between them when they had spent that night caring for the pigs. Her resiliency during that night had stunned him, and had altered his perceptions of her. It felt as if that night had only happened yesterday, and not a year ago. The sound of her shoes in the hall pulled him from his thoughts.

"Carson said you asked for me, is anything the matter?" she asked when he just stared at her.

He smiled; "No…no…everything is fine. I just needed to speak with you privately."

She stood before him, unsure of what was going on. She felt the heat of his body as he stepped closer to her, and then the welcome touch of his hands along her back. He was different in this moment, he held her with a new confidence. Something was about to change between them, and she was afraid to be wrong of what she believed it to be. Her hands traced from his cheeks down to his wrists. They were touching completely now, body to body.

Her eyes drifted closed as she spoke, "what do you need to talk to me about?"

His arms tightened around her, "I need to ask you something," his lips ghosted along her forehead.

Her voice was a distracted whisper, "go on."

He stepped back placing some distance between them, though their hands never left one another. She saw his swallow once, and then twice before speaking. She watched as he kneeled down, and felt his hands as their fingers laced together. The look of adoration on his face is one she always wanted to remember. His fingers flexed against hers, holding her tighter. Then, he began to speak.

"Mary, I love you. Will you marry me?" his voice waivered at the end, now he watched her and waited for an answer.

"Yes." Her voice caught at the last moment, and then she was in his arms.

They held one another tightly. Her hands found his cheeks brought his lips to hers, she poured everything she wanted to say into her lips on his, and she knew he understood what she was trying to say.

"I love you, too."

**_Reviews make me smile, and I do so love to hear your thoughts. _**


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: So I finally am posting this. you all can blame school and life for my slacking. _**

_She was following the other ladies out of the dining room when his hand on her arm stopped her. _

"_I need a quick word." His tone was low and serious; she nodded for ladies to continue on without her._

_He led her to one of the lesser used rooms on the main floor, she was about to ask him if everything was alright when she heard the lock on the door click. She did not know what she had expected when he walked towards her, but it certainly had not been his mouth attacking hers with so much force that she was rocked backwards. His teeth nipped lightly at her lower lip causing her mouth to part in surprise, he took full advantage._

_She was unsure of when their kiss had changed from raw and desperate to something gentle and calming. His lips brushed soothingly over hers once, then twice. She took a step back, if for no other reason than to be able to think clearly. They stood apart from one another, their eyes each tracing the other as they waited for their pulses to return to normal. _

"_Was that-"she cleared her throat, "was that the 'quick word' you needed?"_

_He wondered if he had somehow upset her with his rash decision, but he could hear no censure in her voice, only surprise. "I have been waiting to do that all evening, I'm sorry." He said; his eyes still on hers. _

_A slow smile spread across her face at his unnecessary apology. "Don't be, but we should be getting back. The others will have begun to wonder what has happened to us."_

_He escorted her back to the ladies, and as she watched him walk away she wondered when the last time was they had been so desperate for one another or spontaneous for that matter. _

His arms wrapping around her is what pulled her back to the present.

"You look very serious, what are you thinking?" his breath was warm against the shell of her ear, she shivered.

She reached out to close the window before leaning back against his chest. She closed her eyes at the feel of his lips along the side of her face. His face was no longer smooth from shaving that morning, she leaned into the sensation. Turning in his arms, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his.

"To answer your question, I was just thinking how wonderful it is to be married to you." Her words were broken as she pressed her lips along his neck. She could feel him swallow, and then she heard the hoarseness of his voice as he gently pulled her head away.

"You do know I feel the same way. I cannot imagine anything more wonderful than being with you." His hands cupped her face as he stared down at her.

She had never been one for expressing her feelings with words, at least not well. And at this point, with him looking down at her, his eyes so warm she was unable to speak. Instead she did the only thing she knew. She showed him.

Her hands came to cover his, as she turned her head and kissed his palm. She had to close her eyes at the emotions racing through her. His hands left her face and smoothed down over her hair, something was different. No braid, he realized. He loved when her hair was loose. One hand tangled in the long tresses as the other wrapped around her waist.

"M…" his words were cut off by her lips against his and her fingers working along the buttons of his pajama top.

His shirt was discarded as she began to walk him backwards. They were so lost in one another that that neither realized they had made it to the bed until he fell, taking her with him. They broke apart laughing, it was ridiculous and then again, it wasn't. His fingers moved to the tie of her robe, but she stopped him by pinning his wrists above his head. To say he was shocked would have been an understatement, but no less pleased. Her mouth trailed down over his neck, there would be a mark there in the morning. Teeth nipped at his collar bone, and her tongue traced along a small scar on his chest. A dull ache began to run though him. Her hands had released his and were running along his torso.

He started to reach for her again, but once more she stopped him. This time instead of holding him down she removed the belt sash of her robe and looped it around his wrists before tying it to the headboard. He was unsure of whether to laugh or protest, she did not allow him to do either.

She was shocked at her own boldness, when had she become this wanton? She wondered. She hoped he understood this for what it was, her showing him how much she loved him. She rarely said the words, but he deserved this. She felt drunk at the taste of his skin. She knew his body so well by now. The areas that would make his breath catch, cause his hips to jerk, or make him say "please." She had never been allowed to explore each at length; it always seemed that they were so impatient for one another.

Her fingers feathered along the edge of his pants, she could hear him draw in a breath. Her teeth nipped at his hip bone as she let her fingers ghost over him. The sound of her name drifting from his lips caught her attention. Hooking her fingers under the edge of his pants, she drew them down and dropped them to the floor removing her own nightgown in the process. She stood over him now, their eyes trained on one another. She remembered the time she had allowed him to do this to her. She bit her lip at the memory. She wondered…

Bracing herself above him, she let her mouth drift from his arms down to his lips. She could spend hours just kissing him, later she told herself. Her lips followed the pattern from earlier; he was straining at his ties now. Could she, she wondered as she neared his hip? She had only ever done that once before. She wanted to she realized and she did. She drew back only when she knew he would not last any longer.

She placed her legs on either side of his hips, and slowly sank down. Both of them groaned at the sensation.

"Mary, please." He begged, his eyes drifting up to where she had his wrists tied.

She leaned forward, but did not stop moving. When he was free, his arms wrapped around her hips, hard. She was pinned against his chest as he kissed her, soulful drugging clashes of lips and tongues. Rolling them over, the desperation he had kept so tightly leashed broke free. His mouth trailed down to her chest, just near where her heart beat. He could feel her beginning to break apart. His hand reached down and his fingers drifted over her, she broke. Her arms wrapped around his back as he buried his head in her chest and let go.

Afterwards, they lay under just a sheet arms around each other. His fingers toyed with the ends of her hair, and she traced invisible patterns along his arm.

"I love you, so much." Her words were slurred on the verge of sleep, but he heard them. "I know I don't always say it, but I do."

Pulling her tighter against him, his lips brushed her forehead. "I know. I love you, too."

"Were you surprised?" she had to know.

"You always surprise me. Although, I don't know if I could handle anymore tonight." His soft laughter was infectious.

"Hmmmm well I suppose in that case I should wait until morning to surprise you again." Her words were coupled with her placing his hand low on her stomach.

The meaning of her words and where she had just placed her hand dawned on him. She looked at him, her eyes nervous but lit with happiness. He could think of nothing more wonderful.

"Surprise me in the morning?" he asked, his nose brushing along hers.

"Always."


	3. Chapter 3

Their laughter is what led her to the nursery door. The muffled sounds of voices could be heard down the hall, but the laughter seemed to flow throughout the house. One was deep and masculine, and the other was that of a happy young child. She would never allow them to know how many times she had witnessed these moments from on the other side of the door. She had come to understand that they needed this time alone together. She could see him sitting on the floor, and her son standing in front of him, his tiny hands hanging onto an arm so much stronger than his own.

"1…2…3, up," his hands cradled the little boy's legs as he lifted him in the air and then lowered him.

"Again." The little voice begged amidst the laughter.

His vocabulary grew daily, each new utterance was rewarded with amazement and the bittersweet realization that he was growing up.

"Once more then, 1…2…3 up!" This time he pulled the giggling child to him and tickled his tummy.

Staring into the blue eyes of his step-son always brought a smile to his face, the fact that he loved him as his own only made these minutes that much more precious. From what he knew the boy had his father's eyes and disposition, but his smile and hair was entirely his mother's.

"I wonder who your new brother or sister will look most like." The boy just looked at him, still unable to fully comprehend that his mother was carrying another child.

"Brother." The boy said as wiggled onto the floor.

"Yes, brother, but possibly a sister. Little girls are equally wonderful."

There had been many discussions about the possibility of their child being a girl. Would he be happy or did he prefer a son? He had assured her many times that it did not matter; just the fact that they were going to have a child together brought him joy. He hoped for a little girl though, he already had a son. He would never say those words to her but he felt that she knew.

He was pulled from his musings by a small strong arms and legs wrapping around him from behind. He almost regretted introducing this particular game to the rambunctious boy, but the laughter in his ear washed it away. Carefully, he shifted forward onto his hands and knees and began to crawl about the room making animal noises as he went. He saved the best for last, the horse. Placing one hand behind him on the child as a precaution he rose up and then fell back down. The arms around his neck tightened in excitement.

"Again." The little boy demanded. How could he refuse?

Outside in the hall her heart was aching and racing at the same time. His words about girls being equally wonderful soothed what was now an old wound. He had no need for an heir, she knew without a doubt that in marrying her he had accepted her son as his own. He wanted a daughter, she could tell. It was the way his eyes lit up at the mention of it being a possibility. He would be pleased either way, but for his sake and hers she hoped for a girl, a daughter.

She watched now as he crawled around the nursery making animal noises just to hear the carefree laughter of the child on his back. He would be a wonderful father, he was a wonderful father. Her heart clenched at that thought, no matter how many years passed, the loss of _him _and what could have been would always pain her. It did not diminish the love she had for her husband now, if anything it made it stronger. He was wonderful. Turning away from door and making her way down the hall she could not stop the smile that spread over her face or the hand that rested on the tiny swell of her stomach.

"God help me if you are a boy. God help them if you are a girl." She mused. After all, they did need a little girl to even the numbers out.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'll see you later," her words are accompanied by a hand on his arm.

He can do nothing to stop his hand from touching the swell of her stomach, "are you sure you should travel to London by yourself in your condition?"

She swallows the irritated sigh that threatens to escape. She loves him for his concern, but his tendency to want to wrap her in cotton sets her teeth on edge.

"Darling, I will be fine. It is only to pick up some new things for the nursery; I'll catch the one o'clock train back." Her words feathered across his ear as she kissed his cheek.

His hand moved to touch along her lower back, "Alright, see you this afternoon."

As he watched her walk away, a plan began to form.

She was tired, but blissfully so. Purchases had been made, delivery arrangements scheduled; the nursery was already well equipped, but she wanted new things that would belong to this child alone. Five more months until she got to meet this new person, who she already loved, she was absorbed with her own thoughts to the point she did not notice that someone had fallen in step with her.

"You look very wistful," the sound of his voice both pleased and startled her.

"Goodness, you nearly gave me a fright. What are you doing here?" her hand slipped onto his arm.

The quirk of his lips had her arching an eyebrow in question, "I thought I would surprise you with a picnic. I know shopping must have been exhausting, and thought this seemed like a nice way to spend the afternoon."

"It does sound lovely, did Pratt drive you or did you drive yourself?" she hoped for the latter.

"If I am going to steal my wife away for the afternoon, why on earth would I bring anyone else along?"

Without being aware of it, she had been led to the car. She took his offered hand and climbed in.

"That sounds rather cheeky, what do you have planned?" excitement hummed through her veins.

"That is for me to know, and you to find out. Give me a chance." A wink accompanied his words.

How long they drove was unclear to her, she was only aware of the sound of his voice as he talked and the feel of his hand on her thigh. The roads they took were unfamiliar to her, but she trusted him to know where they were going. They had long since passed any trees or fences, tall grass lined either side of the road. He stopped shortly after the next curve.

"Where are we?" she asked as she took his outstretched hand.

One armed wrapped around her back, "I found this place the other day; I thought you would enjoy it."

Hidden within the grass was a path, it could easily be missed but he knew it was there.

"How far does this go on?"

"Not far, we're almost there."

He was right, they only had to walk a little bit more and the sight that greeted her made her breath catch. The grass was shorter where they stopped, and before them was a lake shaded by trees. It seemed out of place, but then again it did not. They claimed a shady spot under one of the trees.

"That was a welcome surprise." She turned her head and allowed her lips to graze his jaw.

He leaned back against the tree, and tugged her back against him. His hands traced along her arms and stomach coming to rest atop hers.

His lips stirred the loose tendrils of her hair, "Not too much longer."

"I know. I'm ready to meet him, or her. What time is it?"

"About half past three. Why, do you have a date?" His features were schooled in seriousness, although his eyes gave away his teasing.

"I do as a matter of fact. I have a date with a very handsome fellow." Her brow rose, daring him to challenge her.

"Should I be worried?" his lips were closer to hers now, his breath fanning her face.

Her smile was soft, "terribly."

Their lips met, brushed, parted, and clung. His arms curled her closer. Her hand toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck, a bare brushing of fingers that had him shuddering against her. His hands traced down her spine, a gesture that was both comforting and arousing at the same time. There was something desperate in the meeting of their mouths, but both kept firm control, unwilling to break the gentleness of the moment. Neither noticed the dark clouds that were slowly filling the sky. The first few drops of water on their cheeks is what broke them a part.

"We need to go." His voice was rough as he helped her up.

They made fast work of repacking the basket and moving as quickly as possible back to the car. What had started as a light rain as they walked back was now a downpour that made it impossible to see anything.

"Do we try and wait it out, or attempt to drive?" her voice now held a bitter tone.

His own voice sounded similar, "we need to at least get back on the main road."

He drove carefully as the rain continued to pour, his hand occasionally reaching out to touch hers. They made it to the main road without any problems, and then the sound of a horrible hiss could be heard over the rain. He could feel something within the steering change, his eyes closed momentarily in resignation as the sound became familiar, and he had no choice but to pull the car to the side.

"What's the matter?" she asked, concern lacing her tone.

He pulled the collar of his coat up and prepared to step out, "give me a moment."

She watched him move around the back of the car, and then towards the front. He knelt down at the wheel on the driver's side. When he stood, she could see his lips move in a word she dare not repeat. He said nothing as he slid back inside the car, the hard set of his jaw spoke for him.

Her voice was hesitant, "well?"

"We have a flat." The words were ground out with irritation.

"Do we have a spare?" her hand touched his hair, now damp with water.

"We do, but it is too risky to try and change the tires now. Once the rain lets up I'll fix it." his hand reached out for hers.

Her fingers laced with his, "what do we do in the meantime?"

"We wait." He tugged her close and wrapped his arm around her.

She rested comfortably against him, her head on his shoulder and one hand along his leg. It felt so odd to be feel relaxed sitting alongside the road, she mused. She felt rather than heard his chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Just the fact that my plans have taken an unforeseen turn; interruptions always happen at the most in opportune times or it seems that way with us."

"Today was lovely, I'm glad you surprised me. As far as interruptions go, if you refer to your attempts at a marriage proposal I believe that was all you, darling."

He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "that was cruel and now you must be punished."

"Oh," their eyes met. "Just what did you have in mind?" she suddenly felt very warm.

His face was closer to hers now, and his eyes were burning with an intensity she now knew all too well.

"This," his lips brushed, "is what I had in mind."

His lips claimed hers, the tip of his tongue seeking entrance. She granted it. The desperation they had succeeded in controlling earlier was now demanding their full attention. Their mouths were a battle of teeth, tongue, and lips. His hands pulled her closer to him, as her own grasped his hair holding him against her. The swell of her stomach pressing against his side garnered a response she had not imagined, his kiss became more passionate, and she felt drugged by it all.

She needed to breathe, her lips tore from him as and teased a path down his neck; he would have a mark there tomorrow. Her fingers trailed from his hair down to his thighs, she heard his breath catch in anticipation. She let her palms rest on his legs, and every so often her fingers would tighten. He had to distract her, she was tormenting him. His hand traced along her side, coming to rest at the side of her breast, his thumb brushed over her and he heard her breath catch just as her fingers tensed on his leg. Her body arched towards him as he continued his teasing.

His mouth once again claimed hers; he swallowed her sighs with his kiss. She could feel heat pool low in her stomach, this was beyond wanting one another; it was a need. Her fingers moved higher along his inner thigh, just enough to get his attention. His grip on her firmed and trailed down towards the swell of her bottom, her fingers finally reached their destination. The confines of the car were past being enough. They had to stop or find release, for this was torture.

Pulling her mouth from his, "Charles, listen. The rain, it stopped and the sun is setting." Her words were broken as his teeth nipped her jaw, "Charles, did you hear me?"

He had to quit, the sound of her voice seemed so far away from the rushing in his ears. "What did you say?"

"Listen, the rain, it stopped." Her hands now soothed rather than excited.

"Should I…" his words trailed off.

"Change the tire, and then home. We are going straight to bed when we get home, I'm exhausted."

The meaning of her words gave him the power he needed to drag himself away from her.

"Do you think the family will believe that?" his smile almost undid her.

"Probably not, but then again, I could not care less." Her tone brooked no argument.

His lips touched hers once more and then she had to push him from her.

"Home." The sternness of her voice reminded him of what home meant, a night in bed claiming exhaustion. Oh yes they would be exhausted, he was sure of it.


	5. Chapter 5

Her eyes had long since adjusted to the darkness of their room, as the months had gone on the more restless she had become. She felt as if she had turned into a small mountain, had she been this large before? Her fingers traced invisible patterns along the material covering her stomach, it was a small habit, but it always soothed her. The warmth of his arm coming to rest along her waist (or what remained of it) caused her to pause, he shifted closer to her. A glance at his face as well as the even breathing against her shoulder told her he was still asleep. She allowed her hand to find his and place it along her stomach as well, it was a connection she needed and one he had no idea existed. The heat he projected, and the simple connection of his hand on the place where their child rested filled her with a contentment she could not describe.

A dull ache in her lower back broke the peaceful musings of her mind, she tried to wait it out, but it seemed the longer she laid down the worse the pain became. She gently slid out from under the arm around her and pushed herself upright, the relief was immediate. Her eyes slid closed as the pain lessened. A familiar cry echoing from down the hall had her walking towards the nursery. She could hear the nanny beginning to stir to quiet her son's cries, it would be seen as improper for her to go in, the cries grew louder and she decided propriety did not matter.

She lifted the familiar weight of her son from his crib and held him. She could feel the dampness of his tear stained face against her neck, and the small hands that held her hair and nightgown in a strong grip. His cries quieted to whimpers, and then finally to silence. When she turned she saw the nanny standing behind her unsure of what to do.

"Would you like me to put him back down, m'lady?" the older woman's voice was rough from sleep.

Her head shook in response, "I'll take care of him this time."

The sound of their voices had disturbed the nursery's other occupant; the sounds of a toddler being woken up from rest were beginning to fill the air.

"You see to Miss Sybbie." She instructed.

Giving the nanny some privacy she walked back to the hallway. She looked down at the boy against her shoulder, and brown eyes met sleepy blue. Placing a kiss within the unruly hair on his head, she walked to the stairs. She remembered being a young girl and sometimes sneaking down to the library just to sit, Carson had caught her once and it had remained their secret. The library was warm thanks to the summer air, she settled in one of the chairs by the window. Another look down confirmed that sleep had not taken over, she began to sing. She could see tiny eyelids fighting against the exhaustion, and then finally he could protest no more. Her fingers ran through his hair and down his back, just holding him close. It was a bit of a feat with her being as large as she was, but she welcomed it.

As she stared out at the night sky, she realized she found her own behavior unusual.

"_You're going to be such a wonderful mother."_

"_How do you know?"_

"_Because you're such a wonderful woman."_

Tears filled her eyes, but they did not fall as they once would have. She still worried about being a good mother, at first she had been so cold and distant, but now she was more affectionate. It might just be a kiss here and there, a hug, or even just holding him, but it was more than she had ever expected herself to be capable of. In many ways she was stronger, but she had also softened.

His eyes blinked open in the dark, his hand reached out for her warmth beside him, he was met with nothing but quickly cooling sheets. He was quickly awake, where was she? He knew worrying was pointless, but that did not stop him from doing so. His first instinct was to check the nursery, she was not there. Next he checked the kitchen, nothing again. He truly began to worry, that was until he noticed the door to the library was cracked. He crept in as quietly as he could, his eyes found her almost immediately. Her reflection was visible in the window, although he doubted she saw him.

His voice was barely above a whisper as he approached her, "what are you doing down here at this hour?"

Her eyes glanced up to meet his over the chair, "I had trouble sleeping, and then I heard him crying."

Until that moment he had not realized she had George in her arms, the little boy was curled flush against his mother, their shades of hair blended together.

"You know I checked the nursery first when I woke up and saw you were gone, I never thought to see if he was in his crib." His voice was still tinged with exhaustion, but there was a trace of humor as he spoke.

The corners of her mouth quirked up in a small smile, "I used to come down here when I was younger and had trouble sleeping. This room has always given me peace, and it just felt right coming tonight."

His fingers brushed under hair, and slowly rubbed the muscles in her neck. She could feel her eyes sliding closed. The sound of his voice a few minutes later had her opening her eyes once again.

"Here, hand him to me, and then it is back to bed for us." His words were punctuated with a kiss on her forehead.

They made the exchange easily, and then he was helping her to her feet and up the stairs. She watched as he placed their son back in his bed, and then run a gentle hand over his head. Her eyes were drifting shut as they walked back to their room, her head resting against his shoulder. As she settled back against her pillow, she could feel his arm wrap back around her waist holding her to him. She was almost asleep when the pain began again, this time worse than before. She waited to see if the pain would ease, after a few moments it did. As she allowed herself to doze she acknowledged that things were getting close.

The morning arrived just hours after they had returned to bed, and despite sleeping she still felt exhausted. The rumpled sheets beside her told her that he was awake. Shrugging off the exhaustion she felt, she rang for breakfast. She went through her routine of eating and then preparing for the day. She could hear voices coming from within the library as she walked downstairs, whatever was said was soon followed by his laughter. That particular sound brought a smile to her face.

After having stolen him from the library earlier that morning, they had gone for a walk until the pain in her back and now stomach had made them turn around. He had stared at her with concern, and she had claimed tiredness as the reason for stopping so soon. They had filled the hours between then and luncheon within the nursery. Every so often he would notice her eyes shut and the line of her jaw harden. It was just before dinner when everything happened.

He sat in the chair by the window watching Anna get her ready. His eyes traced over her, looking for any sign of what he suspected was happening. The sound of his name being hissed out between clenched teeth immediately grabbed his attention.

"Is it..." his voice trailed off as he saw the look on her face.

Her eyes shut against the pain, her hand reached for his, "yes."

He nodded for Anna to leave, trusting she would inform the others. He had no idea what to do, the one hand he had free he used to rub along her back, and he felt her lean against him. He could feel sweat form between their intertwined fingers, and the grip tighten as she tried to handle the pain. They pulled apart only when Anna reentered the room.

He felt useless. Being confined to the library with the other men, and the Dowager, was testing his patience. His fingers raked his hair, the whisky did nothing to calm his nerves, and the constant sitting and standing anytime the door opened was eating him from the inside out. He wished he would have insisted on staying in the room, it had to be better than this.

Hours went by, and still no news. He closed his eyes in resignation, no matter how impatient he was, he knew she had the harder part. His mind wondered to whether they would have a boy or girl, what name would they choose, who she or he would look like. It was not the first time he had thought about such things, but now they were becoming a reality. His musings were broken by the door opening, this time he was greeted with a smile from Anna and told he could go up. He wasted no time.

He stopped just before the door, for the first time he realized he was nervous. His hand shook as he placed it on the handle, now or never, he realized. He was greeted with smiles from Mrs. Crawley and Cora. Both touched his hand as the exited, he finally allowed himself to look at her. She was leaning back against the headboard holding a small bundle. The smile that graced her face when she saw him could be described as nothing short of radiant. He felt as if he was walking on stilts as he made his way to them, his vision blurry. He eased his weight on bed beside them, both so wrapped up in the moment they did not notice Dr. Clarkson quietly leave the room.

"Well are you going to ask?" she questioned, one eyebrow raised slightly in amusement.

His eyes kept going between her and the baby, "ask what?"

"If we have a son or daughter." Now she had his full attention.

His eyes widened, "do we have a son or daughter?" his voice broke at the end.

Her lips ghosted along his jaw for one moment, and then she passed him the baby. "Say hello to Margaret Elizabeth Blake, your daughter."

His eyes shot to hers in disbelief, his fingers traced over the shot of dark hair on the infant's head. It was impossible to tell who she looked most like, either way she was beautiful.

"Mary?" he asked as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Yes, Charles?" her eyes slid closed.

"Thank you. For her, for George, for everything really." His words were whispered against her lips in an innocent kiss.

She leaned back so she could meet his eyes, "I think we both have a lot to be thankful for."

His head nodded in agreement, "there is only one thing, or rather one person missing."

"Go get him, he should be here." Her words were said with a smile.

He passed her their daughter, and with another soft kiss to her lips, he went to go wake their son.


End file.
